exactly. all cartoons are caricatures -- exaggerated and unrealistic depictions of someone. well done, dilbert. you should consider becoming the observer's art critic. the point is that all art forms also have a context and social history, and the exact same negative depictions of african americans (which, let's face it, were used as physical manifestations of their human/genetic/intellectual inferiority, 'apes', subhuman, etc) have appeared for about 250 years. there is an actual museum of this stuff with 100,000s of examples ranging from the most hateful and nasty to the frankly bizarre. for e.g., this is why you shouldn't call black men (or women, for that matter) 'brutes'. it's a horrible old stereotype that has been used to justify the worst sorts of racism:
https://ferris.edu/jimcrow/brute/again, if there was an equivalent thing for 'unfair depictions of australian politicians', then i'd be all ears. when satire is used by the weak against the powerful, i.e. to ridicule politicians, it is aimed well. when a satirical depiction quotes racist propaganda to put someone down, it is not only fucking weak humour, it is abusive. if people like dilbert examined their own social attitudes a little more closely, maybe they'd start to wonder just who is satirising whom, here, and where the real power lies.
and no, serena is not 'beyond satire'. just like obama wasn't, again. all cartoonists know their trade: they know what they are drawing and what they are choosing to exaggerate. satirise serena's unsporting behaviour, sure. but don't draw her with giant lips throwing an ape tantrum.
Last edited by uziq (2018-09-16 03:35:53)